Latest news with #GreaterVisakhapatnamMunicipalCorporation
Hans India
4 days ago
- General
- Hans India
Operation LUNGS to safeguard open spaces from getting encroached
Visakhapatnam: As part of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation's (GVMC) action plan to place a check on encroachments, operation Life to Urban Green Spaces (LUNGS) gets initiated in the city. Several stretches of open spaces that fall under the GVMC limits have been encroached upon. In some areas, political leaders' encroached reserved open spaces and constructed commercial structures. As a result, locals in many colonies are facing difficulties. Earlier, a number of colony welfare associations have brought the issue to the attention of the GVMC authorities through various representations. Following detailed discussions with the concerned officials, GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg and City Mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao decided to get the city rid of such encroachments. As part of the exercise, the encroached structures were identified zone-wise. In the first phase, 15 reserved open spaces across the city which were illegally occupied in various approved layouts were taken into account. The Commissioner instructed GVMC Chief City Planner A Prabhakar Rao to take action at the earliest in this regard. Further, the Mayor informed that a review meeting was held recently at the GVMC head office along with the Commissioner to assess the status of open spaces across all zones. During the meeting, it was observed that open spaces in several layouts were encroached. Following the instructions of the Mayor and GVMC Commissioner, town planning department officials, led by Chief City Planner A Prabhakar Rao, launched a focused initiative under the banner of operation LUNGS. Encroachments at Sangivalasa, Prashanthi Nagar, Teachers Layout, DRK Raju Township layout, Madhurawada, ASR Nagar, East Point Colony, HB Colony, Nakkavanipalem layout, Marripalem layout, Lankelapalem, Shivaji Nagar and Godavari Township were identified. The exercise of demolishing is in various stages in several colonies. Talking about LUNGS, the Chief City Planner informed that they have already identified encroachments in some other open spaces in the city, while there are some court litigations which need to be cleared. The town planning officials, along with special teams, zonal commissioners, assistant city planners, department staff, and ward secretariat teams form part of the operation. The removal of encroachments is being executed with the support of police.
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Operation Lungs: GVMC clears 15 encroachments on open spaces
Visakhapatnam: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) cleared encroachments on 15 reserved open spaces across Visakhapatnam, as part of its ongoing initiative, 'Operation Lungs' (life to urban green spaces). The town planning department carried out the drive with the support of local police, targeting illegally occupied open areas within designated layouts. The encroachment clearance was undertaken in several key locations of Vizag city: in zone-II at Sangivalasa; in zone-II at Prashanthi Nagar, Teachers Layout, DRK Raju Township Layout, Kommadi, the area behind Global School in Kotha Palem, Madhurawada, and ASR Nagar; in zone-III at East Point Colony, HB Colony Layout, and Nakkavani Palem Layout; in zone-V at Marripalem Layout; and in zone-VI at Lankelapalem, Shivaji Nagar Layout, and Godavari Township (Narava). These areas were identified as being encroached upon and were restored as part of the drive. GVCM mayor P Srinivasa Rao said that the operation followed a high-level review meeting held on 24th July at the GVMC office, where he and commissioner Ketan Garg reviewed the status of open spaces across all city zones. Observing the increasing encroachment on green and reserved spaces, we issued directives to the town planning department to take immediate action to safeguard these public assets, Rao added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brain tumor has left my son feeling miserable; please help! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo In line with these instructions, a special task force was formed to launch 'Operation Lungs,' with the objective of identifying and reclaiming open spaces for urban greenery and public use. GVMC chief city planner Prabhakar Rao said that the respective zonal commissioners, assistant planning officers, town planning staff, and secretariat personnel actively participated in the operation, ensuring its successful execution.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
GVMC launches ‘Operation Lungs' to reclaim encroached open spaces in Visakhapatnam
In a major push to protect urban green spaces, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has launched 'Operation Lungs – Life to Urban Green Spaces', a dedicated drive to remove encroachments from reserved open areas in the city. The Town Planning wing initiated the operation on Saturday, clearing illegal occupations from 15 designated open spaces across various approved layouts and zones. The move follows a meeting held on July 24, where the Mayor and the GVMC Commissioner reviewed the encroachment status and instructed officials to take immediate and firm action. Led by Chief City Planner A. Prabhakar Rao, the Town Planning teams, with support from zonal officials, ward secretariats, and local police, cleared encroachments in areas including Sangivalasa, Prashanthi Nagar, Kommadi, East Point Colony, H.B. Colony Layout, Nakkavanipalem, Marripalem, Lankelapalem, Shivaji Nagar, Godavari Township, and Narava. 'In a single day, we successfully freed 15 open spaces from encroachments,' said Mr. Prabhakar Rao, adding that the drive will continue in the coming days. Officials said the mission is aimed at safeguarding green zones and ensuring they are preserved for public use and ecological balance.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Mayor hails sanitation workers for making Vizag a clean city
Mayor Peela Srinivasa Rao on Saturday commended sanitation workers and said that it is their collective effort that won the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) the first position in the special category of 'Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher' at the National level. He was speaking during the 'Swachh Awards' felicitation ceremony organised by the Municipal Corporation at AU Convention Centre on the Beach Road on Saturday (July 26). The Mayor said that the GVMC has about 5,800 sanitation workers, and with development abuzz, more sanitation workers are needed to be recruited. He thanked the sanitation workers, GVMC officials, city residents, and representatives of voluntary organisations for their contribution towards making Vizag a clean city and achieving this award. MP Sribharat emphasised the importance of adopting advanced technology to make city even more beautiful. He said that the corporation has been implementing the 'Swarna Andhra-Swachh Andhra' programme initiated by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu as a movement with public participation. He pointed out that without public awareness, even the best efforts of sanitation workers would be in vain. He also highlighted the Chief Minister's efforts to bring more companies to the city with the goal of developing Visakhapatnam into the economic capital of the State. District Collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad stressed on the need for maintaining cleanliness in the city, and said that investors evaluate sanitation, environment, traffic, roads, and water supply before committing investments in the city. GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg shared a personal observation of women sanitation workers cleaning at Nehru Bazaar at midnight, leaving their families behind for the city's cleanliness. Appreciating their services, the Commissioner promised to address issues such as stray dog menace faced by workers immediately. All the representatives along with MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, Deputy Mayor Dalli Govinda Raju, TDP President Gandi Babji, and DCCB Chairman Kona Tatarau felicitated the sanitation workers, secretaries, UGD staff, several NGOs, and sanitary inspectors with Swachh Awards, certificates of appreciation, and mementos. They also visited stalls set up by NGOs promoting the use of eco-friendly products.
Hans India
20-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
People urged to cultivate simple habits for a meaningful change
Visakhapatnam: As growing plastic menace has become a serious environmental and public health concern, district administration is exploring ways to exert influence on people to switch to planet-friendly alternatives. Underlining the need to unite for a common cause and contributing to the state government's ambitious 'Swarnandhra–Swachh Andhra' campaign, Visakhapatnam District Collector MN Harendhira Prasad called upon people to avoid using plastic supplies and switch to eco-friendly alternatives. At an awareness programme organised by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation at the RRR centre in Yendada on Saturday, he appealed to people to come together to make Visakhapatnam a plastic-free city. Speaking at the event, the District Collector stated that the state government is organising Swarnandhra–Swachh Andhra campaign across the state on the third Saturday of every month to spread awareness. He exhorted the people of Visakhapatnam to extend their support by eliminating single-use plastic from the households and adopting planet-friendly alternatives. He emphasised that single-use plastic items used on a day-to-day basis are clogging drains and causing stagnation, resulting in diseases. 'Sanitation workers are risking their lives daily to remove plastic waste from blocked drains. As plastic waste enters aquatic food chains, they not only impact marine life but also affect human health through seafood consumption, leading to several health concerns, including cancer,' Harendhira Prasad explained. As alternatives to single-use plastic, he recommended paper bags, cloth bags, jute bags, steel, glass, ceramic plates, cups, containers, and reusable water bottles. He appealed to the public to bring in a meaningful change by cultivating simple daily habits. An awareness poster highlighting the message 'let's end plastic pollution together' was released on the occasion. The awareness programme was organised in the presence of GVMC Additional Commissioners DV Ramana Murthy and SS Varma, chief medical officer ENV Naresh Kumar and ward corporator L Apparao. In recognition of Visakhapatnam's achievement of securing the first position under Safai Mitra Surakshit Shehar special category, the Collector felicitated sanitation workers and representatives of NGOs for their dedicated efforts. Stalls promoting earth-friendly products were displayed on the occasion. Cleanliness drive In order to build a healthier environment and as part of 'Swarnandhra–Swachh Andhra campaign,' Anakapalli district police initiated a cleanliness drive in the district police station, parking space, etc., Following the instructions of Anakapalli district Superintendent of Police Tuhin Sinha, Additional SP M Deva Prasad led the cleanliness drive that saw participation of police officials. 'The onus of building awareness about cleanliness and leading a plastic-free life rests on the police and it should be made a way of life,' the Additional SP emphasised. Inspectors Bala Surya Rao, Lakshmi, Anjibabu participated.
